Wings
by Isabel March
Summary: It's been a year since Terra passed, and Beast Boy can't let go. In a desperate, Faustian move, he makes a deal with a sinister, powerful woman to bring her back to life, but at a great cost. BBxTer Romance/Drama, please be kind!
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so this is first story that I have felt brave enough to submit. This story is a revamped version of a comic I had been drawing about 4 years ago. It's grown on me, and now it seems to have become a metaphor for one of my past relationships. Anyways, I promise, the second chapter will deliver, so please bear with me.

I OWN NOTHING!! :D

Enjoy the story!

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"Ahemait, light the sage, would you?"

In an unknown place, delicate hands were clasped together in meditation.

"Yes, mistress," a gentle movement was heard from within the shadowy background. Seconds later, billows of white, fragrant smoke began to fill the elaborate catacomb.

A woman stood up in the darkness, robes flowing out from behind like elegant tidal waves. She breathed deeply, parting her shapely lips only a little. Whispering something unintelligible, she brought herself calmly to the center of a grand mandala that was painted onto the stone floor; in the middle was a crescent-cut mirror, creating the little light that was in the room. She stood directly over it, her reflection peering up. Unlit candles were set in each direction of the circle, creating a star pattern that went outward.

Dropping noiselessly to her knees, the woman placed both hands to the ground and waited in silence. After a few soundless seconds, she heard what appeared to be breathing, emitting from the mirror and echoing from each corner of the room in steady rhythm. As it grew heavier and more labored, the room started to vibrate from the floor up, shaking the hanging fabrics and tapestries that lined the cold, hard walls.

Suddenly, the wick of each candle ignited, reaching up to the ceiling with a searing blue intensity that lit up the once damask tomb. The meditating woman jolted upward, gasping sharply. At that instant, the flames sank down and became little flickers of light, casting an effervescent glow onto the walls. The breathing had stopped, as well as the vibrations. The woman stood up and gazed at the mirror beneath her. Staring back at her was the face of a teenaged boy, lively and youthful, that appeared to be deep in a restless sleep. As he tossed, the light of the candles revealed an emerald complexion, complimented by a mossy green mat of hair that was tangled with sweat. The image lingered for a few seconds on the looking glass, and then vanished from sight. The woman removed her robe gently and left it at her feet, chuckling musically from the back of her throat. Contentment spread wide across her lips.

"Soul of Fauna, I've found you at last"

--

"Awake, friend! It is the time of morning!!"

Silence. Starfire hovered patiently at a large, metallic door that was tightly sealed. Engraved at the top were the words:_ BEAST BOY._

"Beast Boy?" She rapped gingerly against the cold, hard surface. Still nothing. Starfire floated back and forth, putting her ear to the door to confirm that there was, indeed, life behind it. She was starting to get frustrated.

"My friend, it is time to get up! Get up! Awake!" A grunt was heard from inside, but no one came to greet her, even respond to her. At this, her eyes began to glow bright vermilion.

"I shall give you to the count of blegnarth to come out of your room, or I will be forced to destroy this door and_ everything_ behind it!" No sound. She raised her voice as menacingly as possible.

"Frexspar…Grosvench….Grosvench-and-a-splorge…_BLEG…!"_

Before she could finish her assault on the door, it slid open, and she found herself hovering above a skinny, sleepy friend of hers. The look on his face was reminiscent of a cat that had been tossed into a swimming pool by a screaming 2-year-old. Regardless, Starfire gripped her companion in a bone-crushing hug.

"Good morn, my friend Beast Boy! I am glad to see your bright and shining…" Not realizing what had happened, Starfire opened her eyes to discover that Beast Boy had transformed into something small and crawled out of her arms, down the hall, and to the kitchen. She cocked her head in confusion, then proceeded in the same direction.

"Another restless night, eh?"

Robin stared at the tired-looking titan standing before him. What a mess, he thought.

"Yeah….yeah, I'm fine." Beast Boy grumbled, shuffling to the medicine cabinet on the other side of the kitchen. His boxers were hanging helter-skelter off of his thin, green hips, and the tank he was wearing had what appeared to be sweat stains running from under the neck and underarms. His normally vivid complexion was pallid and worn-looking. Standing on his tip-toes, he groped around the very top of the shelves blindly.

"Any idea where the Tylenol is?"

"I think Rae used the last of it. You want coffee?"

Beast Boy sighed, "Thanks." He ran a hand through his hair and down his face, leaning against the kitchen counter. Robin poured two cups and sat down at the granite island adjacent from Beast Boy.

"Have you been taking your meds?" He slid the hot mug over to his friend, who took it up slowly.

"Don't make it sound like I'm a crazy-person…" He took a sip, then stared into his cup, "…yeah. They haven't been doing anything…my head's splitting."

"Maybe it's not insomnia?" said Cyborg from the living room sofa. He was watching a news program, something about the weather. Raven sat across from him, her back turned, facing the window.

"What else could it be?" Beast Boy watched the steam float off of his coffee and float to the ceiling. Starfire floated into the room tentatively, then rested her chin on Robin's shoulder.

"Well, my friend, on my planet, such insomnia is caused by one of two things: the avoidance of something that is hurting mentally…" she left Robin's side and flew over to the refrigerator. She pulled out a bottle of mustard and let it hover below her lips,

"…Or brain-worms. Have you the brain-worms, Beast Boy??" She sucked on the nozzle of the bottle like it was soda-pop. Everyone in the room grimaced and turned to a different direction, holding their stomachs. Mustard had always been her favorite; still, some things you just don't get used to.

"No…no, Star…It's not brain-worms…" Beast Boy walked over to the sink and dumped the rest of his coffee down the drain. Good-bye, appetite, though he hadn't really planned on finishing it to begin with.

"It's been like this for weeks."

"Yes," returned Star, tossing the bottle over her shoulder thoughtlessly, "but you are so bad off today, more so than normal. Are you quite certain neither reason is responsible?"

For a few minutes, no one spoke, with the exception of the television broadcaster in the other room. He was talking about a coming event, some kind of lunar thing. No one was listening. Suddenly, Starfire perked up with abrupt realization.

"My friend, indeed it is the first reason! Is not today the day that Ter…" Without warning, Robin leapt up and clapped a hand over her mouth in a nervous gesture. The rest of her words were garbled as he fought to keep her quiet.

"Starfire! Hush!" When their eyes met, she realized what she was almost about to do, and the girl looked to the floor sheepishly, almost as if she had disrespected someone. Beast Boy still remained motionless at the sink.

"Oh…" she looked around anxiously for a diversion from the subject. She glanced over to the television in the other room.

"Cyborg!" She chimed, almost too corn-fed to be believed, "What is it you are watching on the channel of news? It must be very interesting, no?" Cyborg, who had been trying to keep out of the awkward conversation in the kitchen, looked up at the orange extra-terrestrial. Her eyes were pleading, so much so that he decided to play along with her pathetic attempt at covering things up. Cyborg sighed, exasperated. It wasn't that he didn't care about his friend's well-being; it was just that he didn't want to get involved in such a delicate subject. Now it was thrown into his lap.

_Leave it to Starfire…_

"Yeah…yeah, they're, uh, they're talking about this eclipse..." He turned up the television, "It's not gonna happen for a couple-a weeks, but I guess they're all freaking out about it. Only happens every couple hundred years or something like that. I'unno, I haven't been paying much attention."

"My, is that not interesting!!" Starfire said, a little too loudly. She stared at her half-metal comrade, realizing that she was still not helping.

"What else are these news-peoples saying about said eclipse??" the fraught in her voice was making it crack ever-so-slightly.

"Well, from what they're saying, the special thing about this eclipse is that it…well, I think it does something where it, like, casts a shadow on the earth. A red shadow. I think it's got something to do with our atmosphere or…something." Beast Boy grunted from the other room. Starfire motioned for him to go on. "…And it never hits the same place twice. That's why they're excited; cuz it's rare and it's happening here." The program had switched to a sports broadcast. Fresh out of things to say, he shrugged his shoulders. Desperately, Starfire flew over to Beast Boy, hands up in the air and jovial. Robin shook his head and put the cups in the dishwasher.

_Well, the can of worms has been opened. _

"My, was that interesting! Don't you agree, Beast Boy? Most interesting!"

Beast Boy gazed up at her briefly. The look on his face gripped her heart, it was so tired and sad. Frozen in place, she struggled for words, something comforting, but was completely caught off-guard by his unnatural demeanor. Beast Boy pushed off the counter with his palms and headed down towards the hall again.

"I'm gonna chill in my room for a while. Don't wait up."

Starfire turned and started for him, but felt Robin's hand pulling her back. He took her gently by the shoulders, speaking with a careful, soothing tone.

"He's got a lot to think about. It's best if we just let him be," He placed a finger under her chin and lifted it up, "okay?"

Concern written on her face, Starfire nodded with somber obedience. She proceeded to help Robin clean up the kitchen in an attempt to push her worries from her mind, and Beast Boy's problems were dropped from discussion.

Beast Boy trudged into his room, a scarecrow without a post. His head and arms dangled at his side as if there wasn't any blood left in them. He made note of this, but didn't reflect too much on it; his heart felt so literally heavy that he didn't think any blood could actually get anywhere in his lanky body. This thought made him smirk, just a little grin.

_You damn emo kid. You sound worse than Raven. _

Without any effort, he found his way to the bottom bunk of his bed and flopped down into its musty covers. He tossed; lumps under the comforter. He tossed again. Finally, he threw the sheets off and laid spread eagle on top of a bare mattress. Still no comfort. It was like living in a jenga-house; moving only made it worse. His breathing became haggard, and a familiar hotness grew behind his skull, pushing hard on the inside to the point where he thought that his eyes would pop out.

_I don't wanna cry…_

Beast Boy buried his face into his pillow hard, forcing the tears back in. It had been so long since he had last cried over it.

Maybe that was the problem? Not crying.

He had wanted so bad to just let go of everything that, after a while, he blocked it all out. A whole year had gone by with no thoughts, no tears; only an occasional word about the incident dropped here and there, to spare his feelings. And now, it was all being thrown back in his face. Even his dreams, rare as they were, were completely dripping with remorse.

Forgetting about it had been the easy part; it was getting over it that was the problem.

After a second, he lifted his head and gazed thoughtfully across the room. Instinctively, he shoved a hand underneath his bed and pulled something out—a red shoebox, top and bottom held together by a black shoelace. He hesitated for a minute, then pulled the string off carefully. A cloud of dust came with it.

_When was the last time I opened this thing?_

Lifting up the lid, he stared down at the long-forgotten contents: A silver butterfly hair comb, sticky, red Popsicle sticks that were stuck to the cardboard, carnival tickets, photo booth pictures from a long-lost outing, and shards of glass. He took his index finger and stroked the pieces of glass, pushing them together just enough so that they formed something: a heart. His present to her, a jewelry box, shattered into an infinite number of jagged crystals. He'd almost forgotten about it.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp, little pain in his palm. Cursing softly under his breath, he pulled out a tiny piece of glass that had lodged itself into his skin. Blood started to rise and pool at the surface and dripped into the box. Beast Boy sucked on the wound and, with his able hand, rummaged through the objects, picking up the silver comb. He looked at it, sighing heavily. A little blood had dripped onto it, and as he held the hairpiece up to the light, he watched it trickle gradually down the teeth and fall onto his dirty, white tank. It was almost hypnotizing, like watching rain fall.

The sound of someone knocking on the door broke his trance. Beast Boy quickly shoved the box under his bed, the comb still in his hand. Almost frantically, he hid it under his pillow, out of sight. He leaned back on it, arms over his head.

"Come in."

The door slid open, and a gray shadow entered gracefully, standing stationary when it reached the disheveled mess of a dresser.

"Hey, Rae."

Beast Boy didn't look at her when he said this; rather, he kept his eyes to the bunk hovering over his head.

"Are you okay?"

Raven kept her eyes on him, despite the fact that he wasn't going to turn to her. Beast Boy, in response to her question, replied with a hint of skepticism.

"Yeah…I'm cool, I guess. Why do you wanna know?"

"Well, that whole thing in the kitchen. With Starfire."

"What about it?"

"I sensed what you were feeling. Whenever she spoke, I could feel you tense." She paused, choosing the right words to say, "You know that you're insomnia is being caused by avoiding your feelings about today for months at a time. You can't keep doing this to yourself."

Beast Boy sat up, ruffled by her frank, personal analysis.

"What makes you so sure you have this all figured out? That I'm really just messin' myself up by not talking about it? What, am I supposed to just face it? Let it get to me?"

"That would be the healthier solution, yes." Raven sat on the edge of Beast Boy's bunk. Something about this uncharacteristic move soothed him in an unsettling way; she was genuinely concerned about his well-being.

"The more you deny what's happened, what today is, the more it'll destroy you. I can feel it. It's eating at you right now, and the longer you let it stay like that, the more damaging it'll be. More than just insomnia…"

Beast Boy looked at the tops of his feet, mumbling.

"You don't know that."

"I know that you're hiding her comb under your pillow."

He jolted forward, shocked.

"How did you…?" Raven raised her eyebrow and shot him a "You know why, you idiot" look.

"Right…you're psychic…forgot for a minute…" he pulled out the comb and stared at it again, waving it back and forth to catch the light. Raven spoke with a steady, almost grave, tone.

"That's the _problem_." She brought his hand down, comb and all, and forced him to listen. He felt his chest tighten up; this was something he just didn't want to listen to today.

"You keep trying to forget things, when you need to accept what happened."

"A year ago today…I'd kept it out of my mind…" Beast Boy exhaled. This was starting to make his head hurt, among other things.

"Feel that pain and let it _hurt_. Forgive yourself for something…something that couldn't be stopped," Raven took his face in her hands just as he started to turn away.

"_Nothing_ is going to bring her back. She's gone."

Beast Boy made a little sound from the back of his throat. His eyes were glazed over, and he remained frozen in place. This had hit him like a sucker punch to the gut, and he felt like he could either burst out in tears or throw up. His head fell back down, almost ashamed.

"I…I know…"

Raven put a hand on his hand. She didn't coddle him, she didn't lecture him anymore. She just waited for the downpour; it was what she had hoped would happen. But he just sat there, letting the pressure build up. Finally, she got up and left Beast Boy's side. As she headed for the door, she turned back to him and said in low, almost too-quiet-to-here voice,

"Forgive yourself. And feel what you have to. Because she isn't coming back."

When she was gone, Beast Boy fell backwards again, breathing out like a gust of wind. He picked up the comb once more and dangled it over his head, then brought it to his chest, almost hugging it. He closed his eyes and held it there.

"I wish…"

His eyes opened up to the sound of the piecing alarm over his doorway. Red light filled the room and the screeching siren-like noise filled his ears. Trouble downtown, no doubt. He puffed out with a defeated, exasperated tone and threw his uniform on haphazardly, tripping over comic books and his electric guitar that he neglected to hang back on its stand. His gloves and shoes on, he picked up the hairpiece off the bed and scrambled for the red shoebox. With that put away, he closed up the box and stowed it back where he had kept it, and headed to the door. His head and chest felt heavy and full of nastiness, but the work had to be done; such is the life of a super-hero. The door slid open, and he glanced once more into the room. His nerves raw and his soul feeling wrenched open, he flew down the hall.

"Terra…"

End of Chapter One


	2. Chapter 2

So, here it is! Chapter Two! It gets a little wordy, but I had to describe some essential plot-pieces in it. I wish this could have been up sooner, but I've had rehearsals for "Sweeney Todd" and "Fame", so between those two and my own procrastination, it took a tad longer.

Also, even though I've tried very hard to resist, I let the fangirl from four years ago get the best of me, and the result…more or less…B.B. gets a little aroused…God, I'm a whore…

Anyways, here's the new chapterrr. Please enjoy! Again, I own nothing in this story. Except that one chick…she might belong to the ancient Egyptians…but…yeah. I'm claiming her. Yay!

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"Titans, GO!"

The oh-too-familiar cry rang out through the streets of Jump City as the Titans moved in synchronized strategy. Another day, another monster to stomp into the dust.

This creature in particular happened to be a recurring problem for the teenage super-heroes. It was, more or less, a horrendously-sized serpent that loomed over the buildings and streets, lashing out at the innocent bystanders who ran screaming from the scene. A red jewel was embedded into its forehead, and on its back were two massive, jet-black wings that carried it into the air so that it could sail down and bombard the five with powers summoned by the ornament on its head, as well as an acidic, venom-like substance that it spat like water from an immense hose. This monster and ones similar to it had been attacking the city at least once a week for something around a month, and the Titans just couldn't wrap their heads around it. What were they, and where did they come from?

Robin shot out a barrage of bird-a-rangs that exploded on contact with the creature's great, silver flesh. It cried out, weakened. Raven flew up and threw a force-field up around herself and her teammates as Cyborg and Starfire blasted at it with an immense display of firepower. The beast shot out a stream of hot venom and broke Raven's shield, causing the set to scatter for cover.

"When the hell are these attacks gonna lay off??" Yelled Cyborg over the monster's sharp, hissing roar. He blasted from behind a brick wall with the massive cannon in his arm, and then retreated.

"They keep getting stronger!"

"The longer this keeps going on, someone's bound to get hurt!" Robin and Starfire combined an attack and joined Cyborg.

Out of nowhere, Beast Boy transformed into a variety of large animals, starting with a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and began his own assault on the giant snake. Fighting heavy fatigue, his adrenaline kept him going at a somewhat steady pace. A large bite into the serpent's upper body tore off the top layer of skin, causing blood to spurt out in a crimson river down its massive body onto the street. Crippled, the Titans made their assault upon it.

"Go for the gem like last time, guys!" Robin shouted as he moved out. The jewel on its head proved to be the source of its power, and once broken, the monster, like all the others, would fall; however, this battle proved to be a lot harder than the last ones, and it seemed that, with time, these fiends were getting more powerful. While the team carried on with their salvo, Beast Boy stopped mid-attack. Something was whistling in his ear, a faint whisper over the noise of destruction. It was feminine, unfamiliar.

"_Beast Boy..._"

_Did I just hear my name? _He looked around the area in front of him, distracted by what he wasn't sure if he had heard or not.

"Beast Boy! Get out of the way!" Someone hollered, but before he could turn around to see who it was, the snake's giant tail hurtled into his body, sending him flying through the air. He crashed through the window of a building all the way down at the end of the street like a green sack of potatoes.

"BEAST BOY!!" Starfire screamed, horrified. Her path was blocked as she tried to fly to his rescue by the attacking behemoth. Unable to do anything, as the monster was still bringing walls down, the Titans continued fighting.

Beast Boy came to in a darkened building with broken glass spread in a halo around him. He sat up and faced the window he flew through, avoiding the shards.

"What just happened…?" He stood up, the glass crunching under his feet, and circled around the room.

Through the walls, the sound of the battle was faint; he guessed the he must have flown at least three blocks. Observing his surroundings, he found that the room was filled with Egyptian artifacts ranging from necklaces and tools to a full-blown mummy casket. He must have landed in the Egyptian exhibit at the History Museum. He walked around numbly; surprisingly enough, the bone-smashing blow, as well as his landing, didn't hurt him a bit. In fact, he didn't remember feeling anything. Bizarre, he thought, but he placed the fault on shock. As Beast Boy traveled, he noticed that, though the building was closed, the alarms had not gone off when he broke the window; however, the security system must have reacted, because the entrapment mechanism had been activated, and the room was completely sealed by sheets of steel shielding over every window and door. The room was completely air-tight, there wasn't a single place he could transform into something small and crawl out through.

"_Beast Boy..._"

_Is someone here?_

He wandered, knowing that there was no way to get out until someone came for him. The red "Exit" sign cast an eerie, red glow on the countless artifacts decorating the room. It made him feel uncomfortable, like he was in a horror movie. It didn't help that surrounding him were painted hieroglyphs and faces, all staring at him with that dead, straight-forward look that the ancient Egyptians gave all their painted images. He walked by depictions of events and ceremonies that were carved into pieces of stone wall. Though it was too dark to read the descriptions the museum curators had put next to them, the red light made it possible to make out what was happening. The piece of brick in front of him held the image of a snake circling a dark red sphere, a sun, blotting out its rays. The image was being fended off by a woman with great wings on her back, a goddess, who, in the next panel, had defeated the sun-stealing monster with her powers. He wondered what it meant for a half-second before his A.D.D. decided that the next object over was more interesting.

The next display he came across was a tall, gold staff, in the shape of a snake, the top of it being shaped like a king cobra spitting. Its mouth was agape and hissing, and he noticed that it looked like something was supposed to be inside of it; in fact, it looked like the scepter was missing quite a few pieces. Beast Boy stared into the glass display box, mesmerized. All of a sudden, he heard the faint sound again, calling his name with a sweet, seductive tone.

"_Beast Boy_..."

He, in turn, was terrified. Someone was in the room with him, and he was completely encaged.

"Who are you? Sh-show yourself!" No answer. Beast Boy's heart was clambering hard in his ribcage. Its heightened rhythm seemed to bounce off the walls and back to him. He turned around and found himself facing the golden snake scepter. Somehow, it seemed different. Maybe bigger? Luminous?

"_Beast Boy._"

The voice was louder than before, and it seemed to engulf him like a thick, black spider web, rendering him motionless with fear. He stumbled forward, gazing dizzily at the glass case in front of him. The serpent's body began to glow all over, and its mouth seemed to contain a bright ball of light. Looking into it gave Beast Boy a sick feeling inside, but for some reason, he couldn't pull away. Everything was starting to go hazy, like a veil of mist had floated overtop of the room, and the floor seemed to vanish into nothingness. Beast Boy felt his limbs and neck fall limp, and he was floating (at least, that's what it felt like) in midair, into a vast, unending blackness. His mind was struggling to keep alert, still recognizing the beckoning calls that rang out in his ear sporadically, but his body was going dark, useless, every molecule in him being evaporated away. Finally, his exhausted brain gave out, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

Beast Boy awoke, still foggy and with a sour stomach. He clutched his gut and balanced himself as he lifted off the ground. When his eyes screwed together correctly, a sudden realization fell over him in a cold sweat: this wasn't the museum. Instead of sarcophagi and paintings that lined endless brown wallpaper and paneling, the place was small, dusty-smelling, and was made of wood and stone. Long silk draperies hung loosely off the ceiling, and richly decorated furniture filled each corner of the room, covered in gold and lively jewels that reflected off the light made by candles and lit torches. Sweet-scented smoke poured in from a draped doorway that was to his left.

"Where am I?"

He traced a painted snake mural with his figure. It bore an eerie resemblance to the snake-monster that he had been fighting before being thrown into the museum, wings and all. The red mark on its forehead was a gem that seemed to gleam at him when he looked at it carefully.

"Pardon me, sir," a soft hand placed itself on his shoulder, white and cool to the touch. Beast Boy leapt up into the air, squealing with fright, only to discover that behind him was a young girl. She was wearing an unusual costume, like those he saw in the hieroglyphs earlier, and bore a head of wild yellow hair that seemed more to resemble the mane of a lion. Her voice had a little tinkle in it, like a bell.

"Who…who the heck are you? Where am I?!" Beast Boy panted. She flashed him a demure smile that was almost unbelievable; something about her eyes just wasn't trustworthy.

"Mistress would like to see you now," she pulled the drapes back from the doorway and extended her hand, "This way please."

With great caution, Beast Boy entered. This next room was similarly decorated to the last, with murals and wealthy furnishings. A large, fancy circle was painted on the floor, and in the center was a moon-shaped mirror. He walked up to it and stared at the face that bounced back to his own. A small altar on the floor contained an incense holder, from which the ribbons of smoke were sailing out of, dancing around as if they were alive.

"Remove your shoes and gloves, please."

He turned his attention to the silk covered settee in the back. Lounging on it casually was a richly dressed woman. Doing as she told him, he handed his belongings to the servant-girl, observing the mysterious figure. Her eyes were rimmed in kohl, and she was wearing a bizarre ensemble of black, shimmering silk that clung to her form like skin and rolled off of her body in a black wave of fabric and gemstones. Her long, jet-colored hair was covered from the top by an elaborate headdress with ostridge plumes flying out at the crown of the forehead. She gazed at him, smiling warmly. Beast Boy felt his chest grow hot, and his nerves began to break down. She was dangerously attractive, so much so that even the negative vibe she was giving him didn't stop the thoughts from popping into his head. Her scarlet lips opened.

"Welcome," her eyes were ghastly red, the same color as her mouth, "I've been expecting you." Beast Boy responded with a slur of questions that were stammered out.

"Who are you? Why am I here? Are you the one who's been setting those monsters loose? What's going…?"

"Tut, tut," the woman interrupted, words rolling off her tongue as soft as velvet, "All in good time. Ahemait, fetch, please." Before Beast Boy could start again, the sultry woman stood up before him, motioning to her servant. The girl returned with a skinny pipe that resembled a long cigarette holder and lit it. The woman picked it up and took a long, relaxed drag, and then set her eyes on him. He tried to jerk away; they were cold and inhuman, but he couldn't do anything but stare back. It was almost like being in a trance.

"My name," she said, blowing out the smoke, "is Aapep. And I have summoned you here because you possess something that I want." Aapep circled, as if inspecting, him then put her hand on his shoulders from behind. Beast Boy trembled at the touch, both entranced and petrified.

"Well, who says I'm gonna give whatever this is to ya, lady?" She laid her hands on his chest and slid down, almost thoughtlessly. Beast Boy suddenly became very alert and aware of his surroundings as she brought her hands back up.

"Oh, my dear, no one's going to _make _you give it to me."

Beast Boy's thoughts traveled again to those rosy areas not foreign to a young man's mind. Sweat began pouring out of his grass-green skin in little beads.

_Oh, God…_

The woman, grinning like a Cheshire at what she knew she was doing to him, sat herself back at her bed.

"…But I know you will, Garfield." At this, he broke from his fantastic tension and gaped at her.

"How do you know my..?"

"I know plenty about you, Mr. Logan; about your abilities as a shape-shifter, your work as a crime fighter, your broken childhood as an orphan…and, I think…" She motioned with her finger for him to come over, and he was pulled by an invisible string to her, completely shocking him. She lingered just below his chest, gazing back up at him, with a seductive, sinister smile. Beast Boy tensed again. She rose back to eye level, chuckling coolly.

"…Just as I thought--A First of May."

Beast Boy backed up nervously, both embarrassed and panic-stricken.

"H-hey! I don't question your personal history!"

"What I want from you, my dear, are your services." She twirled the rising smoke surrounding her with her finger.

"Hey, lady, I know I'm cute and all, but…"

"No, fool, not _those_ kinds of services…" Aapep rolled her eyes, smoking her pipe, "…although, if you _do_ help me, you could have that and more…" she looked into the mirror at the center of the mandala, then back to him.

"I need your soul."

Beast Boy found himself dumbstruck once again. The woman looked ten-times darker than before, the sinister sound of her voice vibrating every fiber in his being.

"My _soul_?"

"Did you see the hieroglyphs in the museum, of the snake with wings being defeated after stealing the sun?" Beast Boy nodded his head as she spoke with fury burning under her words. "I was once the most powerful priestess in Egypt, in the entire Eastern hemisphere. I held rule over even the pharaohs and high courts, such was my will. I grew to be god-like, eternal and all-knowing, and as my reign grew stronger, I grew anxious to spread my kingdom to more than just the mound of sand that was my homeland. My servants, young Ahemait here, and a shape-shifting girl named Nut, aided me in building a weapon that would harness the power of the sun, blocking it out permanently, and increasing my powers to the point where I could destroy my enemies with a snap of my fingers, and take the world as I pleased. This weapon was in part powered by the abilities of my two servants, their animal souls with an aura of Fauna surrounding them. We planned to use the day of a predicted eclipse and take control. Everything was perfect, until…" Aapep clenched her teeth menacingly, seemingly at Beast Boy (much to his confusion), but kept her cool composure.

"…until I was betrayed. You see, Nut had made a deal with me and became mine through bondage. However, at the expense of her wish, she turned her back on me, and as the eclipse grew full-circle, she flew off with the weapon as a giant bird, foiling my plans and weakening my abilities… Then, from the ground, she hurled it at me with all the power she had left," She moved some of her outfit around to reveal a deep, red scar, a puncture wound no bigger than a piece of pipe that hovered right above where her heart would be, "…And the weapon's pieces shattered, spread out across the distance. I, in turn, became trapped in what remained, along with Ahemait, and for thousands of years we've remained here, encircling the globe in this talisman, almost powerless. Waiting for the day when I would find a new Soul of Fauna that would aid me in my attack on the sun. And so, my dear," she became sweet and sensual again, "At last, I've found you."

Beast Boy couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"So, those snake-monster-things…"

"They were my way of getting your attention, yes," She puffed once again on her tobacco, "I needed to distract your friends and get you to come to me."

"And that eclipse that they're talking about on the news, that rare one with the red ring?"

"It is the exact same eclipse that I used before. It comes around every few hundred years, but until now, I've been unable to find a soul to help take advantage of it. But then...I found you. Your soul is _identical _to Nut's in every last way. I _need_ you; the eclipse is but a month away."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, lady…" Beast Boy snapped into Titan-mode, his stance strong and dynamic, "After hearing all that "ancient magic to destroy the sun" crap, I'm not exactly gonna just go, 'hey, okay, here's my soul! Have fun with it!'" He headed for the exit. "Thanks, but no thanks,"

"What if I told you I could give you something you want?" She snapped her fingers. Every muscle in him froze abruptly, unable to go forward. She snapped again and he turned around.

"What exactly could I want from you that are worth my freaking soul?"

"Oh, boys have lots of things they want at such a youthful age," she puffed out a stream of white smoke, and it floated to the floor. In seconds, it transformed into an enormous, carved chest. Aapep snapped her fingers once more, and the lid flew open, revealing a pile of gold and jewels that overflowed and spilled out to Beast Boys feet.

"Riches, perhaps?" She watched as he gawked at the glittering heap, but soon the astonishment turned to disapproval, and the chest vanished, "Okay, then….what about women?" The smoke from her pipe once again leapt up, and three women materialized, scantily clad and gorgeous from head to toe. They moved around him in a tantalizing circle, and as they moved their hands upon him, he felt the nervous feeling Aapep had given him once again.

"A young man like you can never have enough women, especially one of…limited experience…like yourself."

After a few minutes of skimpy torture, Aapep snapped her finders, and the harem dissipated.

"Look, uh…Aapep, right?" said Beast Boy, "I don't think you can 'interest' me in anything, kay? So I'm gonna leave…" This time, he broke out of his trance and made it through the door way.

"Or maybe…" She blew out a cloud of smoke, calling after him softly, "…Maybe it's just one girl," Beast Boy stopped on his own this time, facing the opposite direction, but listening intently, "A girl with long, blonde hair and big, blue eyes that stare right into your very soul…" she watched him as he replied quietly to himself.

"Terra…"

"She died a year ago today, didn't she? I saw it in the mirror. Turned to stone while saving the city she nearly destroyed. Poor thing," Aapep gave a wicked smirk; she knew that she had hit him where it hurt, "You blame yourself for her death, and it's haunted you, despite your attempts to keep it down. You wish to heaven you could see her again…"

Beast Boy hung his head, stoic, and his back still turned to her.

"And you'd do _anything _to bring her back…" She watched as his head jerked up almost violently."Wait…you're not saying you could…"

"Bring back the dead?"

Beast Boy took a few steps toward her. His eyes were glassed over, and Aapep could see that his hands were shaking.

"Could you…could you really?"

"Your wish is my command," her crimson eyes seemed to glow as she said this, and she extended her thin, pointed hand to him, "All I ask for in return is that you help me, Garfield. That's it. And she's all yours again."

Beast Boy held up a shaking arm, then retracted it slightly.

"Wait…this means…" He paused and thought for a second of the consequences, which had, until now, gone over his head, "…Will…will anyone get hurt by this?"

"I can assure you, you will get your girl, and all will be fine," Aapep said calmly. "Just trust me." Her teeth gleamed at him, and for a second, they looked pointed, like fangs, but then turned back to normal when he blinked.

Beast Boy gulped, closed his eyes, and then finally took hold of her cold, rigid hand. As he did so, a charge of electricity seemed to fly up his arm and spread outward, making a long hissing sound in his ears, like steam. He groaned out loud in pain; whatever she was doing, it was burning him from the inside out. Aapep clasped on tight, then released her grip, that baleful grin of hers slapped back on her stunning face. He gazed at his hand, which felt like someone put a welding iron to it. Burned into his skin was an eye tattoo that stared like a dead man back up at him, still smelling of hot flesh. Beast Boy held his hand up to Aapep.

"What is this?"

"A brand, so-to-speak," said the woman, "A symbol of your bondage to me. You now carry some of my power within you, and you shall use it, in time, to serve me." She got up from her lounging spot and crossed over to the moon-mirror.

"Now, about your wish…"

"You mean you're just going to…bring her back? Right now?" At this, Aapep gave a tired little laugh.

"Oh, no, silly boy. It takes at least a night for the magic to work. Besides," she knelt to the ground, turning her head up to him, "I'm stuck in this tomb; there's not much I can do outside of here, save for send out a few monsters to kick your friends' behinds. And that obviously won't do any good in this case, so…" Aapep placed a hand on the mirror and muttered something. The room grew dark as night, and the low-hanging smoke from the incense and tobacco pipe swirled into a whirlwind from the roof down. A flash of brightness turned out to be the mirror, glowing on it's own as Aapep held her thin hand over it. Within seconds, an object slowly rose out of the glowing glass surface. The candles relit themselves, and the room was steady again. Aapep, who looked just a tad exhausted from the ordeal, picked up what the mirror had produced and handed it to the unwitting Beast Boy.

"…I need you to do some of the work."

He held the object up to the light. It was a necklace of gold and lapis that hung on a heavy, embellished chain that had clasps in the shape of two lotus blossoms. At the bottom was a pendant shaped like his eye tattoo, curvaceous and glittering; however, instead of being filled in like his, the pupil itself had a design imprinted on it—something like a cross, but with a loop at the end of it.

"I've seen this mark before," said Beast Boy, motioning to the symbol.

"The Ankh; it means life," Aapep took the necklace and placed it around his neck, "as does the eye and the blossoms. Now, then, in order for this spell to work, you need to do this at night. I believe you have this lover of yours mounted on your island, as a sort of…memorial…correct?"

"She wasn't my….yeah. Yeah, we've got her facing the ocean."

"How absolutely morbid; you humans, sentimental to the point where you'll keep around a stone corpse…"

"D'you mind finishing, please?" Said Beast Boy agitatedly. Aapep eyed him, then continued.

"Whatever suits you. Anyhow, I need you to go to this corpse and put that necklace around her neck. Then," She went over to her altar and pulled out a small vial with a stopper shaped like a dog's head, "Drink this. It will physically seal the spell, binding her soul to this earth through you." Beast Boy took the tiny glass bottle and rolled it between his fingers.

"…And that's it?"

Aapep lingered over him, "That's it."

"And she won't be some kind of…weird…brain-slurping, out-for-the-flesh-of-the-living…."

"Boy, can you take anything seriously?"

Beast Boy looked at his feet, "Sorry." He put the container into his utility belt.

"What about me helping you with this eclipse-thing?"

The woman slinked over to her divan and put her arms over the edge.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that right now. You'll know when I need you. For, now, though," she snapped her long fingers once more, and Beast Boy suddenly found himself becoming dizzy. He fell to the floor, his ears ringing and vision becoming increasingly blurred.

"Go make your wish come true."

--

"Beast Boy! Beast Boy, awake, dear friend!"

Somewhere in a hazy darkness, a shrill voice called out in a muddled fright. Beast Boy stirred and cracked his eyes open.

"Hey, he's waking up!" The bluish-white blob to his left said. He rolled over, rubbing his head.

"Welcome back, Space Cadet," Said the purple blur, who, in a few seconds, transformed into Raven. Four battle-worn super heroes were standing over Beast Boy, who was lying on the cold, marble surface of the museum's floor.

"Wh…where…?"

"That snake-thing tossed your cookies pretty far," said Cyborg, helping him sit up, "Threw you all the way into the history museum. We licked it good, though. You shoulda seen it!" Cy laughed, giving Beast Boy a thick pat on the back that racked his insides.

"You took a pretty nasty crack to the head," Robin handed him an ice pack. "You were out for a while before we got here." Beast Boy popped his eyes open, abruptly coming back into reality.

_Was all that just a dream? _

He got to his feet, feeling his gloved right hand. He winced.

_Maybe…_

From the window, he could see the sun sinking slowly behind the cityscape. Right behind him, the snake scepter glared its evil smile. That was still there, at least. He pat his belt, feeling a small, glass tube. A combination of dread and delight welled up in Beast Boy's chest.

"Listen, um…guys, if its okay, can we just go back to Titan's Tower? My head's really killing me." He indicated to his hammy forehead, though in reality, it did sort of sting.

"Is everything okay, B.B.?" Cyborg, as well as the other Titans, noted something odd about his character. Beast Boy just shook his head, cracking a sheepish grin as if to try and calm them.

"Hey, like you said, I cracked my head good, right? I just need to hit the hay early, if it's cool."

His teammates took his side with concern and guided him out of the building as he exhaled a silent breath of relief.

--

It was rounding midnight, and the moon was laying low in the sky, its rays penetrating the darkness of Beast Boy's messy room through an open window and spilling out over the piles of clothes and debris. Beast Boy, who had taken with him a blanket and pillow, was long gone. He had transformed into a large bird and flew out secretly, so as not to draw attention to what he was setting out to do. In his mind, he worried that Raven would somehow find him, based on the past couple of days. Psychics always have a habit of foiling plans. Nevertheless, he flew all the way to the other side of the island, and when he was certain that no one was tracking him down cerebrally, he took to the dirt path by foot, taking him far away from the Tower.

A mile off the East side of the island, Beast Boy finally came to a rocky landing made up of several cliffs and caves, chipped and worn-down with time. The dirty, earthy smell filled his nostrils and summoned up some stewing memories.

_God, she used to love it up here…_

As he walked, his eyes wandered, and he let his feet carry him; they knew the way to this spot by memory, despite Beast Boy's lack of visiting. But now, the thoughts couldn't evade him, and he felt the shivers of old ghosts creeping up behind him. It was like being a pall-bearer in a funeral, and he was about to go dig up the dead. Suddenly, his feet stopped, and he turned his attention upward.

There she was; a stone corpse, her powerful stance frozen for all eternity, looking out towards the ocean. The last and greatest thing she had ever done.

"Hi, Terra," Beast Boy said meekly. He set the backpack he was lugging down to the earth and pulled the necklace out, throwing it onto his own neck. The trees at the edge of the landing seemed dark and glowering, and he was suddenly hit with a feeling of guilt, as if they were judging him. There was something deeply wrong about the whole transaction he had made in general, and tampering with the boundaries of life and death didn't exactly come off as something to be proud of. He climbed up to the base of the monument, and when he had steadied his feet, made it to eye level with the stone-girl.

_I feel like I'm grave-robbing._

He brought the necklace out from under his shirt and looped it over her head, pulling it around the strands of hair that had been transformed into rock while in midair. When it was securely on, he put his hands on her shoulders and stared into her cold, lifeless eyes. In his guts he felt a strong, tightening pain, and for two seconds, he thought he might cry. He shook his pointy-eared head and swallowed hard, climbing down off of the dead girl. Maybe Aapep was right; it was sort of bizarre to keep her on display like this.

Laying out the pillow and blanket, Beast Boy sat bow-legged on the ground. The warm summer breeze wrapped his face like loving hands, comforting him in all of his sorrows. There was a shadow of a doubt in his mind that, despite the deal, this would all be just a joke; or worse, he thought as he rolled the dogs-head vial around in his hand, he could really be taking poison. It might be that the spell WAS going to work, but something awful would happen. His mind darted back to the idea of zombie-Terra, roaming the earth, in search of sweet, tasty flesh. He breathed out, and then looked to the beautiful statue.

"Well, Terra," he uncorked the container, "Bottoms up."

He chugged the foul-tasting liquid down in one gulp. It was like swallowing fire, and the sensation was so strong that Beast Boy doubled over, sweating marbles. His stomach turned, and he laid his head on the pillow as the potion took fearsome affect.

_She's killed me! I knew it! I'm going to…_

His body then relaxed, and he shut his eyes slowly, sinking into a heavy sleep with the name of his gold-haired titan still buzzing in his brain.

End of Chapter 2


End file.
